The technology industry is evolving from a model of shrink-wrapped software to distributing applications. Applications can be distributed to users by providing a location or link that allows the user to download the application to the user's computer. Applications can also be distributed by making a service provided by a software product available to a user. An example of a service delivery is the “Software as a Service” (SaaS) model in which the software product is centrally hosted on a remote server accessible by a user through a communication network. Application distribution models typically involve an individual paying money, or other form of value, to an application store in order to use an application. Typically, the application store passes on a certain percentage of the transaction total to the developer of the application in the form of a license payment. In many application stores, a purchase that a user makes in the application store is recorded against that user's identity. For example, it is not atypical for a user to be required to generate an account or to sign into an existing account in order to purchase an application. Although the reasons may vary, this is often done in order to track who is entitled to use the application and to track the user's license rights.
Conventional distribution models described above can work well for individuals who are purchasing the use of applications for their own enjoyment or their own productivity needs. But, the individualized application purchasing experience provided by typical application stores does not facilitate a collaborative environment. For example, the client of an architect may not have previously purchased one or more applications that allow the client to view or edit plans that the architect may want to share with the client. Although there may be various reasons for this, typically, the client would have no need to purchase the application outside of the collaboration with the architect. In another example, a user may work on a project involving multiple companies and wish for the other companies to use a particular project management application. The companies may not have the experience or expertise to make an informed decision on which applications are needed in order to collaborate with the user.
Conventional application marketplaces provide various solutions to the problems described above, but each are limited. For example, each user could simply buy the application themselves, but as explained above, the experience and expertise of the user may bring into question the value of purchasing the application. Also, the user of the application may not want to create an account or enter in financial information to an application store in order to purchase an application that may be used for a short period of time. Other solutions also exist where multiple licenses of the application are bought for a particular company, but these solutions typically only work where each user is already in a corporate address book. As a result, this approach may not work well across company boundaries. Finally, a developer might also enable multiple users to buy applications for others through a Web site provided by the developer. This approach, however, requires significant development effort to create an application marketplace on the part of each and every developer.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.